The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1887-11-04
HIGH LIFE BELOW STAIRS.
A Correspondent Discusses Jeamos Vel
lovpIush's Influence in England.

Completely and intalligently, 0ne must bear
in mind the vast number Of d0meatioan 10
name, by-the-byei never used m Englant an
Tins uOnnectiOn) that are employed IN noble
mems and gentiBmenis establishments all
over the United Kingdom. 10 people nc-
eustumed to consider three servants in a
house great luxury. and, in many instances,
one quite sufficient, the employment nf, say,
twenty, would seem incredible. aet twenty
il no uncommon number among people OF
by no means the highest rank or the largest
fortune. ] know one modest bRTQnet, q man
who cuts no figure In fashionable ROeiety,
and who is in no way conaldered q great
swell, who has over thirty. barqneta, as o
rTile, afenot half or q quarter such swells al
home in England as they are thought to be
when they 20 to America, 1mean az o class.
The titledf "sSir"i sAR very tWp-penny -hai-
penny one at best ard is shared by every
knight, and knights are excessively penny
farthing from title point of view. When,
therefore, n baronet can have over thirty
servants, what-niu be the domestic sretinue
of a duke, or even marquis or earl7
No person OF any pTeteusion TO position at
all (titleless people, meaul, could possibly
have less than three servants, and many
families Of but modest means aud possess
sions have six. lii England the position Of
each servant, and the duties that belong 10
each exclusively, are clearly marked put sud
established There Is a separate servant for
every known and conceivable division Of do
nestle labor. Each does land will do no
more than what In laid down in the pre-
sOribed and Well-settled rules of service.
And it ia not confined, this exciuslvenesa in
thematter Of work, to thuse whose nominal
divisions of labor are an their character diH-
metFically dissimiiar IL Bnot thata groom or
coachman would not, on occasion or even
emergency, he prevailed upon to wash the
dishes OF make the beds: or that the kltehOn-
out and bed down the horses for the night or
clean the harness. +Noone Co1tll feel surprised
at the refusal Of either, But 1t is that no foot
man could be induced, much less ordered. to
tlUnF q tFh fetch hot water tai the DaTi-
rooms; BoibutleT. could be ceioled into carry
ing in a tray Of entrees, or carrying out o
basket of dirty plates. In the one instance,
the work is the legitimate and sole duty Of
the hOusemaid-in the other, that of the
foOtmap. OF course, j speak of large, or
fairly large, establishments, for in small
cook may help to make the beds and do
OUT the hall, aud the housemAid assist IN
washing the dishes, The rules of a strict
division Of labor are not so strictly enforced
and Obse we'd in small establishments as IN
large, but there is nevertheless. q fairly
rigid adherence to the exclusively Legitimate
duties OF the particular place in all house
holds Of the gentry. What, are known az
general servants, or women who do general
houseWOrl'' in America, are called maids
OF all work" in Lnglss I'D. They are almost
without exception employed IN the houses Of
tradeSmGn.
Wages are ST. much lower in England shan
in America, too, that three EerNants-g cook,
paFlor-mald dining room girl or Waitreaal,
Rnu hOuBG-mGld tup-staifs girl, or chamber
maid, can be kept for less than Won would
For example. yOn'd give your cook Clb--or
&75--a year; your pAFlnr-nlaid the same, and
yOur honss-1naid Cl2-Or 500. That would
be c42, OF 50 GA wear. A Chinaman at So
p week would be SRG0. 1t sts-nds to reason
that your cook at G15 q year wouldn't be q
cpTG H 5lsU; but she wuUld be good
plain one, and not Clan1rOus for dishes
beyond, &our means, WHICH would be a
gr at desderHtuIn: and she would .be--eG-
cent N Vie uluttgT Of light and fancy breads,
which EnBiith people don't 9 tin nine cases
a. eraEe Chinese goldman" II wing sep
Gr. te servants for the RepHrate divisions OF
household work IL an advantage which needs
M advocate with those who have experienced
tho comic t Of yuiuE waited upon at table by
n per onage Whose tEce isBpt blazing with
the effects Of q recent roasting at the Kitchen
fire, Cr whose clothing 10 not saturated with
th4 httyor Of Yiands pf the excellence Of
Nor does any one need 10 be impressed with
the satisfaction Of knowing thatOne's dinner
has not, been cooked by hands fresh from the
WasHtub.
Household washing is not, as general
rule, except in large establishments, and NOS
Always in them, done at home. Nearly every
one sends their linen, out 70 be wash a by
take to steam laundTieaof public chsfae.
GER. There is 9 prejudice against them,
There are several in d18ndpE, and provincial
towns bgtf dor tliink they arc pa tEonized
at al to the extent that such establishments
are IN AInesicu PeOple prefer tic ola fash-
toned WasherwoTnan With her primitive
basket and Qne5n. lsIlfe tlIbs limited water
Supply, sRa egsraa{ DRYING taaeiitles, I, 9nd
week at her abode during its doing they
would sooner have their sheets. and towels
and table cloth and napkins aattepedabg nm
sluouthed and polished By all the appliances
known to the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES art
lhacfiF a son ot5si9 DonbEiess, the prejndiee
will wear away IN timc, but Ii van INV a
word IN favor al tie new syay y;,1i are mel
by the 0ue.tiOn, tIVhnt IA 10 bai.1Ine a. the
poor YasuerWor,lep ~
But ! have goiie awty rather from what /
started it to diseliss, VIZ: TIE power An1 in-
fii!enee n servants afi0ng t1toa ana with
the arists3erscy In atdar 10 filly rn5ylflre1
hend the attire III III INST pn,Ff5, MA l1,fil1
ence, let ns consiie the mum Der 40, classifi-
gleat houses, and houses rot HI -ietiv plenf
biIt Of the same aristt,eratie rharaeteg bnt
to lesser degree.
or fioIit-door.1 Dill, "a are fhs Two grand
claAseR, The sill-slootV are divided iilfo
mem and '1maidf ants tfitg lff-ts1fn
beng composed exclusively of mem, and lha
those 'iin IiveTryh and those sDut al livery q
Jba estahEshnient If sav a
uohleman az lIieh degree, with
a Large income, grand home and vast es-
servants; ts q snaT,ss ~ III M 4 hotlaf sf,s,s
ard groom 81 the ehafnbsTa hTifi3sT uttfer
bntier, geniienan'g foatrnaif ls,is,a foNt-
man. valet for each gerIieIall Ia iile fIiiiiy.
hancock, scuiIiOn, etc. Fhe women ana
ttpIaid Twill ~ Il hof,sekeet,e,. MI Sis.frai
for each isdv IN the family eGof unuer-
houEelnald, Observation-Disclosures 6ead-
nurse. under.fEitfsp 0ne ri gnt1re n4tr,s,rg-
maids, stillroofn-inilid, lanndress, launary-
''oat-d0ofs will be gent.eInaiis coaehmaIl,
ladya cllachman, Several gfooIns, stable-
BOYS, helpers, head-Rs FileneF, several und,tr-
einuprs salnetiiinR ne thiTtv oaeS sssi,s, Z, N
0hatsWnrthl, head game Keeper. nndef keefs-
a., lpdge-leepar, postiilOhs ri. t.fis.
The men atrYants {bath III AHA tiIltti yof3 lin
livery arc the f0otfnan coschuien. sgroon,s
post lions, ont-riaeiT. 80. All ffls
others Are cont 81 livery. ! e. wear plain